Automatic train pipe connecter



Aug. 1, 1933. J ROBINSON 1,920,278

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER Original Filed July 27, 1929 l I INVENTOR1 ATTORNEY chamber.

Patented Au 1, 1933 1,920,278 I AUTOMATIC. TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER JosephRobinson, New York, N. Y.

Applioation'july 27, 1929, Serial No. 381,493 r Renewed October 21, 1932-s Claims. (01. 285-53.)

My inventionrelates to automatic train pipe connecters and particularly,to a coupling head therefor having a plurality of ports one of which isdisposed obliquelyto the longitudinal direction of the connecter. One ofthe objects of my invention is to provideimproved meansfor.removablymounting a conduit inthe port of the connecter head,whereby theconduit and the gasket carried thereby may be removed and replaced at will while theheads remain coupled. In the present applicationI .show,this improved meansapplied to an obliquely disposed port in.

the head, but it may be otherwise used. I

In the drawing Figure l-is a side elevation of my improvement;

Figure 2 is a detailed view, in elevation, of the locking dog formingapart of my invention;

Figure 3 is a sectionalplan view of my im-.

against the bottom thereof, and

Figure 4 is a modification of the locking mechanism of my invention. r

Any suitable supporting means may be employed to carry my improvement. Ishow a support A such as shown-and described in my conrovement as itwould a pear looking upwardly pendingapplication Serial-#304,907 filedSept.- .10, 1928. Upon the forward end of the carrier or yoke B Imountmy improved couplinghead C which is provided with a plurality ofvertically aligned ports .or openings 6, '7, 8. The lower or steam portSis disposed obliquely to the-longitudinal direction of the connecter,preferably at an angle of 45 to such direction. This port may be formedseparately of thebase 9 of the head and suitably secured thereto, but Ipreferably cast same integral with the base. Within the housingorchamber 10 I removably mount a tubular conduit 1l.- This conduit maybe the forward end of a flexible metallic steam or other hose, or it maybe a fitting to which the usual steam rubber hose in common use inrailway service, is attached. In the present construction I havearranged my invention with the ruggedness and strength best suiting itto receive this fitting when the latter is a part of a flexible metallicsteam hose. The fittingis provided with a shoulder or stop 12 adapted toengage the rear face 14 of the chamber 10, and with a forward end 15adapted to fit quitesnugly, within the The chamber is preferably quitedeep, and the shoulder quite wide to strongly resist the lateral strainsonthe conduit 11. This forward end of the conduit carries an adjustablegasket 16 which may be formed of any suitable material, preferably arelatively hard substance.

Retaining rings 1'7 and 18 secure the gasket in placebut permit it torocksomewhat in its curved seat l) in the end 15 of the fitting '11. Acollar or retainingring or member 20 surrounds the fitting at the rearof the shoulder 12. The front 6Q face of the collar 20 is curved at 21to give it a rocking or pivotal seat on the shoulder 12. I On .oneside,the collar is provided with a trunnion or finger 22 which projectsfintothe opening 23 in the dogor anchor lug 24 as shown particularly inFigures 2 and 3, whichlug is securedto the chamber It. On the otherside, diametrically opposite to the finger 22, the collar is providedwith-a head or seat 25. Tending downwardly from the bottom of. the yoke,and formed integral therewith or otherwise securedthereto, I provideabracket 26, the lowerv end'of which is threaded to receive. theadjusting or clamping screw 27 which is threaded forwardly into the seatin the head or. portion 25. The rear end of the adjusting screw isenlarged to receive a handle 28, one end of which has mounted thereon aball 29. A pin 29901 other means" prevent accidental loss of the screw27 fromthe' bracket 26. From this arrangementjitwill be seen that themember 20 can rock ormove about its'pivot in a plane parallelto the axisof the conduit 11 or, in other words, toward and from the front end ofthe port 8. It will benotedQthat the longitudinal axis of the fitting-l1and the gasket 16 intercept the vertical center-lineof the coupling head0 in the plane of the frontface of, the lattersee par ticularly Figure3. .Anautomatic lock, such as shown in my above co-pending application,for locking mated'heads C together, may be employed with my improvement,the opening 30 in the wings 310i the head beingprovided' to receiveisuchlock. a

I When; it is desired to mount the fitting 11 in the chamber 10 thefitting is placed in the chamberand the collar 2(liisirotated on thefitting until the finger 22 comesv into position in the throat'or.opening .in ,the dog 24. This position-.

ing of the collar brings the head25 thereof into 100 shown'in Figure 3.This bearing surface may, 105

if desired, be reduced to avoid adverse effect of theaccumulationthereon of foreign substances. Thev reverse of thisoperation will remove thefitting from the chamber 10.

It is common experience in using relatively no hard gaskets in the handcouplings now employed to connect the steam hose between railway cars,

to have to force such couplings tightly together ing opposing metallic,or other relatively hard gaskets, tightly together. Thus, if for anyreason, it is desired to get a power or wedge action on the gaskets usedwith my improvement, adequate and dependable means therefor areprovided. Great clamping power is secured through the medium of theadjustment screw 27 and the collar 29, the finger 22 of which latter ispivoted in the opening in the dog 24.. 1

In Figure 4 I illustrate a modification of my improvement in which thelocking screw 27 is mounted in a base or bracket 32 which is pivoted, asat 33, to one side of the chamber 10. With this arrangement, when theadjustment screw is released the base is swung out of the way of thecollar 20 to permit the fitting 11 to be removed. Other modificationsmay of course be made in my improvement for which reason I do not desireto be limited to the exact construction shown.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic train pipe connector, comprising in combination acoupling head, a member secured thereto and extending rearwardlytherefrom for supporting the'head, said-head being provided with a portwhich extends obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the connecter,a conduit insaid port and carrying a gasket, an anchor device attachedto one side of the port, a collar embracing said conduit and engagingsaidanchor device, a bracket attached. to said member and extendingdownwardly. therefrom, and means threaded through said bracket intoengagement with said collar for forcing the conduitlongitudi nally insaid port 'to press said gasket tightly against a mating gasket and topermit removal and replacement of the gasket while mating coupling'headsremain coupled.

2.'In an automatic train pipe connector, in combination, a' couplinghead adapted to engage with a mating head, said head having an openingextending therethrough, a conduit mounted in said opening and beinginsertable in and removable rearwardly therefrom while said head is inengagement with amating head, said conduit having a shoulder thereonrearwardly of its front end, said headfhaving a portion against whichsaid shoulder is adapted to abutwhen said conduit is in said opening, acollar embracing said conduit at the rear of said shoulder, said collarbeing rotatable on the conduit, said head on one side of said openinghaving a lug for engaging a part on said collar when the collar isrotated on the conduit, and adjustable means mounted on the other sideof said openingand movable into and out of engagement with said collar,toforce the same against said shoulder and lock the con- 'ri duit insaid opening.

3. The combination with an automatic train pipe connecter head having anopening therein, of means for removably locking a conduit in saidopening, said means comprising a collar rotatably mounted on saidconduit, said head having on one sideof said opening a lug beneath whicha part of said collar is received whenthelatter is rotated ontheconduit, an adjustable member arranged on the other side of said openingand movable into and out of engagement with said collar, and saidconduit having a part arranged to be engaged by said collar when thecollar is forced forwardly of said member.

4. In an automatic train pipe connecter, in combination, a coupling headadapted to engage with a mating head, said head having an openingextending therethrough, a conduit mounted in said opening and beinginsertable in and removable rearwardly from said opening while the headis engaged by a mating head, said conduit having a shoulder thereonrearwardly of its front end, a collar embracing said conduit at the rearof said shoulder, said collar being rotatable on the con- 5. In anautomatic train pipe connecter, in

combination, a coupling head adapted to engage With-a mating head, saidhead having an opening extending therethrough, a conduit mounted in saidopening and being insertable in and removable rearwardly from saidopening while the head is engaged by a mating head, said conduit havinga shoulder thereon rearwardly of its front end, a collar embracing saidconduit at the rear of said shoulder, said collar being rotatable on theconduit, said head on one side of said opening having a lug for engaginga part on said collar when the collar is rotated on the conduit, a partpivotally connected to said head on the other side of said opening, andadjustable member mounted in said pivoted part and adapted to be movedinto and out of engagement with said collar, whereby the collar ispressed into engagement with said lug on the conduitand the latterlocked in said opening.

6. A construction as specified in claim 5 in which said adjustablemember comprises a screw threaded into said pivoted part on said head.

. '7. Means for removably looking a conduit in a train'plpeconneeter'head, said means comprising a member supported on the conduitand rotatable tated relative to the conduit, a threaded device ar aranged on the other side of said conduit and adapted to be turned intoengagement with said member whereby said member may be forced forwardlyin said head, said head having a portion adapted to engage the conduitwhen forced forwardly.

8. Means for removably' looking a conduit in line with an opening in atrain pipe connecter head, said means comprising a part'on one side ofsaid'opening, a member carried by said conduit and rotatable intoengagement with said part, a threaded. device arranged on the other sideof said opening and movable into and out of engagement with said memberwhereby said member and conduit are forced forwardly toward the openingin said head.

JOSEPH ROBINSON.

